OHIO MAN SENTENCED TO 8 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR CRACK COCAINE DISTRIBUTION

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced that an Ohio man was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for distributing crack cocaine.  Clifford Stafford, 34, of Akron, Ohio, previously pleaded guilty in June.  Stafford admitted that he completed an illegal crack cocaine transaction with a confidential informant who was cooperating with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). 

Stafford admitted that on January 31, he agreed to meet an informant at a predetermined location in Huntington to complete the illegal drug transaction.  Stafford further admitted that he entered the informant’s vehicle and gave the individual .87 grams of crack cocaine in exchange for $100. Following the controlled buy, officers followed the defendant to his rented hotel room.  Law enforcement officers received permission from the defendant to search his hotel room.  At the time, officers located a .380 firearm in a laundry basket.  Stafford also admitted that he flushed seven grams of crack cocaine down the toilet before law enforcement searched the room.  Stafford also admitted to trafficking in cocaine in the Huntington area for the last year.  

The DEA and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) conducted the investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Monica Coleman handled the prosecution.  The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr.

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